Anne-Sophie MorissetPh.D.

In addition to being a regular researcher at the CHU Research Center of Québec-Laval University and a professor at Laval University’s School of Nutrition, Dr. Morisset is also a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods. After completing her doctoral studies on maternal health, metabolism and nutrition under the direction of Dr. André Tchernof, Ms. Morisset was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. William D. Fraser’s laboratory, where she worked with very large cohorts of national and provincial births (MIREC study and 3D study). Dr. Morisset also holds a graduate degree in Business Administration, which gives her expertise in project management.

Nutrition, gestational weight gain, and maternal health

Since joining the Research Center in 2015, her program has focused on optimizing nutrition and gestational weight gain during pregnancy. Knowing that about half of Canadian and Quebec women exceed weight gain recommendations during pregnancy, and that this is associated with short and long-term negative consequences for mothers and children (e.g., diabetes, obesity, etc.), it appears necessary to better intervene with these women. In the coming years, Dr. Morisset aims to: 1) accurately characterize dietary intake and weight gain in each trimester of pregnancy, in combination with current recommendations; 2) understand the association between weight gain, diet, and metabolic factors during pregnancy; 3) identify the most important factors influencing gestational weight gain (e.g., social support, psychological factors, eating behaviors, etc.) and finally, 4) develop and implement effective interventions during pregnancy to promote healthy eating and weight gain.

In the longer term, Dr. Morisset wants to improve multidisciplinary clinical management during pregnancy and facilitate its accessibility, so that the health of future generations can be improved.